Dive Bar Gig

[Kyle Ferlen]

[img]1798031_843154839057947_6497999887916164815_n.jpg[/img]

The little dive bar known as, well, the Dive Bar at 1016 K St. is packed tonight. Packed in so much as a bar can be on an off day. Still, the bar does what it can to bring in customers. No cover charge. Drink specials. The occasional waitress dressed as a mermaid. Tonight, the entertainment is a live brass band followed by a somewhat unconventional industrial rock solo artist calling himself 'White Fern'. Kyle Ferlen - or Chris Ruthorford, as he was known publicly - waits at a table close to the stage. The lights are dimmed in the bar and turned up on the stage to draw the eye. Patrons are chatting, drink in hand above the loud music or dancing on the dance floor. Kyle is nursing his own bottle of locally brewed IPA, lost in thought. This is his first real gig in Sacramento, and Lord knows he needs the money. He has spent the last 3 weeks travelling west, mostly because he needs to find better work. Partially because he can't seem to sit still for very long. He's slept 5 nights out of 7 at bus stops and train stations, with the occasional cheap motel when he can afford it. Showers were hit or miss, depending on whether or not he finds a room to stay in. Fortunately for him, 'Grunge' seems to fit his musical style.

The brass band is winding down, and Kyle is winding up. His mind is wrapped around his performance, little else. Performing isn't easy: doing the same thing over and over with the same level of enthusiasm and energy can be draining. Tonight is no different, and Kyle is running off 5 hours of sleep, half a pot of coffee and a beer to calm his nerves. It won't be easy. That's what I get for being an artist instead of getting a real job. Dad would say something like that. Prick. Kyle shakes his head before taking another swig of his hopped brew. A voice over the microphone cuts through Kyle's thoughts.

"We having a good time tonight or what?" A moderate amount of cheers. Some hearty claps and whistles. "Hey, thanks so much. You can follow' Sacratempo' on Facebook or Twitter. Glad you could make it out tonight! Up next is 'White Fern', let's hear it!" A mixture of courteous clapping and cheers with people who are already drunk and hyped up from the last performance. Kyle walks up on stage at his queue, grabbing the mic.

"Thanks, man. And thank you, all you sexy people! Especially you, pal." Kyle points at an obese man in a flannel shirt who had been dancing like a fool all night. That gets a few laughs. The hefty man throws Kyle a thumbs up. "As my friend said, I'm 'White Fern'. Just got in from a few killer shows in Reno. Gonna have another killer show tonight!" Kyle throws a fist up in the air after that one. A few more cheers and whistles. The Minstrel looks towards the DJ, who is setting up for the prerecorded track to go with Kyle's voice. The DJ gives Kyle the 'OK', and Kyle grins, turning back to the audience. "This first one is my own spin on 'Only Happy when it Rains'." The industrial rock rhythm kicks in and Kyle goes to work.

  4 suxx vs. 1 suxx, -1 Glamour

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-11-23 13:07:20		Crowd rolls 4 to Resolve+Composure (10 Again)		10, 5, 3, 2, 4		1 success
2014-11-23 12:59:26		Kyle Ferlen rolls 6 to Rerolling 6 dice for Perfect Pitch (10 Again)		6, 6, 9, 6, 3, 4		1 success
2014-11-23 12:58:28		Kyle Ferlen rolls 9 to Presence+Expression+Specialty (Singing)+Distinctive Voice (10 Again)		1, 4, 5, 9, 1, 6, 4, 9, 9		3 successes

The music is loud and the crowd is vibrant. Maybe it's the booze. Maybe they're worked up from 'Sacratempo'. Maybe Kyle is just that good. Kyle's passionate voice rings out clear over the industrial grind, with highs and lows and energy to match. His dreadlocks whip around as he moves with the music. Kyle belts out three solid songs before taking a break. At the end he is breathing heavy, with a sheen of perspiration over an impish grin. As he steps down from the stage, and the DJ switches to a rock mix, Kyle waves down a bartender and orders his third beer. The bar is alive with emotion tonight. It's a perfect night for a Harvest.

[Nathan Griffin]

Say whatever you want, he loved music.

He was used to living life with his own background soundtrack, whether through earphones or seedy bars like this one. Better yet, he loved the bars themselves, particularly the ones that carried a distinctive stink of decadence. Reminded him of the old days, which though not all that good at least weren't as insanely crazy as his life had become. He was more than willing to spend what little was left of his stolen money on drinks. With no friends and no place to call his own, what was better than drinking himself to death until the feds found him thrown in a dumpster? So much better for everyone that way.

There was something distinctive about this particular bar, though, and it wasn't long until he found out what. When he arrived he caught the end of the performance of a musician that looked like a good match for the marigolds in his aunt's backyard. Good God, this city is crawling with 'lings. It seemed you couldn't kick a cat without hitting a Lost. He supposed it was a good thing, but he certainly wasn't used to it. At least he seemed to know what he was doing. He could forgive most sins, but dumping all over AC/DC wasn't one of them.

He waived him in recognition, allowing himself to look impressed for a minute, and then focused on what he had come to find: oblivion. He planned to grab a few drinks and listen to some hopefully good music. He was still a mess, but maybe his ripped clothes wouldn't look so out of place in this backdoor to hell. He fully expected to wake up next morning with a headache and next to no clothes on. With any luck, that would be due to him getting laid and not getting mugged.

[Kyle Ferlen]

Kyle's eyes - his true, pale colored eyes - lock on the newcomer. He strains to make out the details of the man from afar, but he can tell this one was like him. To a point. Kyle steps back from his spot at the bar and makes his way over to this other Changeling. He walks with a cool and confident stride, though he secretly hopes no one in the bar finds it strange that he picked out another man from the crowd for conversation. Especially considering the cutie in the tube top that was giving Kyle the eye. Don't worry, sweetie. I'll be back for you. The Minstrel shakes his head in exasperation. He sincerely hopes she won't get bored and leave while he's talking with his new 'friend'. As he draws closer, he is able to make out the feathers lining the sides of the man's face, and the scars. Like some animal gave them to him. Kyle frowns for a moment, considering the obvious features and how best to address them. Kyle doesn't beat around the bush.

"Name's Chris, friend. Where'd you get those wicked scars?" Kyle offers a sharp, almost predatory grin. Almost right up in the man's face. Then he laughs, a pleasant and musical laugh. He eases back. "Sorry. I'm just messin with ya. Figure if I mean-mug you first you won't think I'm here to get your number." Kyle offers a hand. The vines that encircle his hand withdraw so that only his bare hand was exposed.

[Nathan Griffin]

Nathan Griffin

That Chris guy had no idea who he was dealing with. To his smile he replied with an equally vicious, but far sharper one. He wasn't trying to be hostile, though. Two predators meeting for the first time had to at least try and get and idea of each other's mettle, right? So he pulled his fangs back at the same time Chris did, instead offering an amused smile and shaking his hand firmly. For once, he wasn't particularly worried, probably because it was just one 'ling, and he didn't look to be the martial sort. Worst case scenario, it would end in a bar fight they would both regret. He'd really hate to maim a talented rockstar so early in his career.

"Is that so?" His tone was light. "Because it sounds exactly like what someone out to get my number would say."

He raises a hand to his neck and feels the scar with his fingers.

"Name's Nathan. You were asking for this? You'll be surprised of the stuff you can find out in the wilderness in Arizona. Heck, some of it even seems too crazy too believe, y'know?" He laughed out loud. "I almost feel bad for mocking all those Roswell conspiracy theorists."

Ah, yes. It was coming back. He had a surprisingly easy time talking about the "Event". It was this place. Public venues came with their own kind of crazy, but a mundane, relatively safe crazy. It was just like the old times, and for a while that he had been kidnapped by fucking fairies didn't seem as important as getting his drink and his girl, ASAP.

He took a look at their surroundings. So many options.

"Nice track, by the way. I had forgotten the perks of living in the big bad city." He shot him another wide, wicked Cheshire smile before returning to scanning the bar. For a moment he thought he caught a girl looking their way. "Admiring the sights, I take it?"

[Kyle Ferlen]

Jeez, man. Check out those chompers. Kyle feels a little uneasy at the sight of the other man's sharp teeth. He relaxes, some, when the man delivers a jab about 'picking him up'. On point. Kyle grins freely. He knocks back another drag from his brew as Nathan carries on. The other seems to avoid answering the question directly. Possibly because the real answer isn't something discussed in public. Possibly because he doesn't want to share.

"Hey, thanks man. Do what you can to get by, ya know?" Kyle follows the man's gaze. His eyes stop on girl a bit too pale to be just another barfly. "Every night, every city." He slaps the bar top once and takes another drag, in self-salute.

"You see what I see, don't you?" He points with his bottle towards the latest Lost arrival. The irony is that Kyle can only barely make out her features. She might just be some skinny, pale-skinned chick. He doubts it, though.

[Nathan Griffin]

Hot. That's pretty much all he could think, taking a look at the new arrival while he sipped his recently acquired drink. He wasn't even sure what it was, but it sure tasted good, and if it got his head spinning in just the right way, he wouldn't complain.

"I can't not see that." He answered. "And unless this is way stronger than what I'm used to, it seems she's in our club. Awesome."

He finishes his glass with one last shot and places it on the bar. He notices the girl wouldn't come close to them. Why, wasn't two men in a dive bar admiring the scenery with a conspiratorial look just the right amount of enticing?

"She seems shy, though." He smiles to Chris. "Well, if Muhammad won't come to the mountain..."

Just like that, he made his way to the Fairest (c'mon, she had to be) and greeted her with a friendly, fangless smile.

"Hey. Name's Nathan. I don't believe we've met." He offered his hand. "You look..." Hot as all hell and then some? "Dressed up for Winter." This time his smile widened. "You see, my friend here," he pointed to Carl, "is a singer. I was trying to convince him to try out his karaoke with some classic rock up next, but he's insisting on..." He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Well, why don't you ask him? We could use an outside opinion, and you look like a girl who knows her way around the dance floor."

[Kyle Ferlen]

So she is... one of us. The Minstrel was grateful for the assistance of his seeing-eye Beast. Kyle offers a short laugh under his breath. "Haven't heard that one before, but I take it that means she's about to have company." The other man wastes no time in setting of to see her, so Kyle follows suit. He walks approaches the pale beauty with beer still in hand, holding it gingerly with two fingers of his hand - like it was something classier than a beer.

Kyle makes a face when the other man labels his music 'karaoke', but he is otherwise impressed with Nathan's process. A grin creeps into Kyle's features when he comes up to bat.

"Chris." he says, taking her hand in his free one. Rather than shake it, he turns it upward like an old gentleman takes the hand of a woman he might court. Holding her hand like something frail and delicate, he adds "And the tracks are actually mine, if you were here for them. Sort of a one-man band thing." He finally releases her hand and glances between his two companions. "And yes, before you say it, I look and sound just like Kyle Ferlen. Except maybe for the hair. I'm sure you both can figure that one out." Kyle adds, bitterness dripping from his words. That thing that took my place also took my record label. To distract himself before he gets angry about it, Kyle knocks back the rest of his beer and sets it on the bar. Making eye contact with Jenn - no, the name tag reads Jess - Kyle summons her over with a tilt of his head.

"Can I get a round of tequila for the three of us?" he says to Jess before looking back to the others with a mischievous look. "If you two are down for it." It was a challenge, clearly. Though he might have ordered something better if he had the scratch.

[Nathan Griffin]

He takes a look at how the Minstrel holds the new girl's hand. He thought it made him look like a snob, especially seeing how he held his beer like he was starring in Downton Abbey. But then what did he know? He seems amused when the Minstrel brings up the name Kyle Ferlen.

"Can't say it sounds familiar." He takes a look at the ceiling before continuing. "The last four years or so I've been out of touch with civilization. I may need a crash course on the latest hits."

He notices the other man seems upset when referencing his abduction. Not that happiness, ponies, and rainbows were the sort of stuff you got from the Others. He would like to say he could relate — but truth be told? He hadn't lost anything from his Durance he hadn't given up already, except maybe self-respect and a sense of entitlement. Good riddance to those.

"Tequila?" He raises an eyebrow, the smile returning to his face. "I wasn't aware I had crossed that border."

But hey, he wasn't about to refuse a drink of all things. He looked expectantly at Buttercup.

"Feel like joining in on the fun, Sasha?"

Maybe a couple of Mexican ICBMs would lower her standards somewhat.